Great Western Electrification Progress

[cle]

Heathrow to Bicester could be a winner... circuitous as it is!

I did see talk of the E/W Reading services becoming stoppers south of Oxford which I think is pointless, however. But frequency is low enough that they could still run fast but on those relief lines.

 

[swt_passenger]

Heathrow to Bicester could be a winner... circuitous as it is!

I did see talk of the E/W Reading services becoming stoppers south of Oxford which I think is pointless, however. But frequency is low enough that they could still run fast but on those relief lines.

Problem for EWR between Oxford and Didcot (a 2 track railway) is that if they don't provide the stopping service then you are adding two additional services per hour on top of the existing, including 2 tph XC and various planned or current freight paths (3 tph). I expect overall capacity is getting scarce, which is why they have been suggesting EWR serves being 'joined' to existing FGW services.

A NR presentation I've got saved suggests that EWR would have one service all stations Oxford to Didcot, and the other non-stop. Nothing shown about the detail east of Didcot though - possibly because no decision has been made on where EWR terminates...

 

[59CosG95]

But we know that the new tunnel(s?) are going to connect to the reliefs - so having T5 services on the mains would involve big crossing moves, eating up mainline capacity.

The reliefs are going to be predominantly Crossrail, which is also going to T5 - so it seems the logical solution to merge the two and extend them onwards to Reading on the reliefs.
Or to layover and begin a 'new service' (as nobody would choose to travel via the airport) with the same stock - just interworked with Crossrail. And that could run 4tph Reading, with 2tph to Oxford and 2tph to Newbury/Basingstoke or whatever.

Presumably the tunnels will be electrified-well they'd have to be, wouldn't they?!
I think that 4 more platforms should be built alongside the existing ones: keep the existing ones for HEx and TV locals, and have longer ones that can accomodate intercity trains e.g. a Cardiff-Paddington via Heathrow service, or a Heathrow-Liverpool via Birmingham XC service (assuming they have electric stock by then...)- we can but wait and watch.

 

[mr_jrt]

Problem for EWR between Oxford and Didcot (a 2 track railway) is that if they don't provide the stopping service then you are adding two additional services per hour on top of the existing, including 2 tph XC and various planned or current freight paths (3 tph). I expect overall capacity is getting scarce, which is why they have been suggesting EWR serves being 'joined' to existing FGW services.

A NR presentation I've got saved suggests that EWR would have one service all stations Oxford to Didcot, and the other non-stop. Nothing shown about the detail east of Didcot though - possibly because no decision has been made on where EWR terminates...

If you were so inclined to be strategic - then quadrupling the line from Didcot through to Oxford North Junction should be quite doable. EWR then provides the local services and FGW the semifasts.

 

[jimm]

If you were so inclined to be strategic - then quadrupling the line from Didcot through to Oxford North Junction should be quite doable. EWR then provides the local services and FGW the semifasts.

It could be done but wouldn't come cheap, with two Thames bridges needed for a start. The formation can take four tracks between Oxford and just north of Radley, which it used to have, but nothing is likely to happen on this section until the Oxford area is all sorted out, including the station. Network Rail is certainly assessing options but firm decisions are probably some way off yet.

 

[The Planner]

Didcot - Oxford is down for having a load of extra signals chucked in, including bi-di, so the headways come down to 3 minutes. I think any chance of 4 tracking is a very very long way off.

 

[Nym]

How about organising the off-peak electric Thames Valley services through Reading to Paddington/Heathrow like this:

• 2tph Basingstoke - Reading - RL - Heathrow
• 2tph Newbury - Reading - ML - Paddington
• 1tph Oxford - ML - Reading - ML - Paddington
• 2tph Oxford - RL - Reading - ML - Paddington
• 1tph Milton Keynes - RL - Reading - RL - Heathrow
• 1tph Bedford - RL - Reading - RL - Heathrow

RL = Relief Line
ML = Main Line

I really do like the idea of running EWR services into Heathrow from Reading.

But for my mind it would need to be a semi fast service between MKC and Heathrow; or perhaps an electric XC service via Birmingham and Coventry or a ICWC service via Milton Keynes or Nuneaton...?

What sort of journey times would one be looking at from Milton Keynes and Bedford?

 

[JamesRowden]

How about organising the off-peak electric Thames Valley services through Reading to Paddington/Heathrow like this:

• 2tph Basingstoke - Reading - RL - Heathrow
• 2tph Newbury - Reading - ML - Paddington
• 1tph Oxford - ML - Reading - ML - Paddington
• 2tph Oxford - RL - Reading - ML - Paddington
• 1tph Milton Keynes - RL - Reading - RL - Heathrow
• 1tph Bedford - RL - Reading - RL - Heathrow

RL = Relief Line
ML = Main Line

I really do like the idea of running EWR services into Heathrow from Reading.

But for my mind it would need to be a semi fast service between MKC and Heathrow; or perhaps an electric XC service via Birmingham and Coventry or a ICWC service via Milton Keynes or Nuneaton...?

What sort of journey times would one be looking at from Milton Keynes and Bedford?

Using the data from: http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/frequently-asked-questions#Q:%20What%20train%20services%20will%20run%20on%20East%20West%20Rail%20%28Western%20Section%29?

Oxford to Milton Keynes will be 40 minutes with stops at Water Eaton Parkway, Bicester, Winslow and Bletchley.

Reading to Oxford is presently 27.5 minutes with a stop at Didcot.

From the BBC Report, Reading to Heathrow will be 28 minutes.

Therefore Milton Keynes to Heathrow would be 97.5 minutes (minus the savings through electrification) assuming that the train is stationary at Reading and Oxford for 1 minute each.

Oxford to Bedford will be 60 minutes with stops at Water Eaton Parkway, Bicester, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont.

Therefore Bedford to Heathrow would be 117.5 minutes under the same asumptions.

In order to path the trains between Didcot and Oxford, perhaps the three sets of half hourly fast trains (fast London services, Cross Country via Birmingham and East West Rail) could be run 5 minutes apart so to leave 15 minutes every half hour for freight services and stopping services. I think that it would be enough for 2 freight services and 2 stopping services an hour.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's a footnote in today's issue of Rail that the first part of the GW electrification train (the piling rig) is due to "start work in earnest" on March 3.
Is there any sign that it has bored any holes yet?
If so, where?

 

[fgwrich]

There's a footnote in today's issue of Rail that the first part of the GW electrification train (the piling rig) is due to "start work in earnest" on March 3.
Is there any sign that it has bored any holes yet?
If so, where?

I don't it has started just yet, however it was seen running yesterday from High Marnham to Swindon on it's own so presumably it will be starting work in earnest in the next few weeks on the Great Western then.

(pictures courtesy of Big Jim on the RMweb forum)

http://s5.photobucket.com/user/s-type-driver/media/2012 album/DSCF6478.jpg.html

http://s5.photobucket.com/user/s-type-driver/media/2012 album/DSCF6479.jpg.html

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I don't it has started just yet, however it was seen running yesterday from High Marnham to Swindon on it's own so presumably it will be starting work in earnest in the next few weeks on the Great Western then.

Well at least it's in the right part of the country now...
Let's hope for a racing start.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Rail this week claims that the first mast base for the GW electrification was piled by the new HOPS train somewhere "east of Cholsey" on March 17.
Has anybody actually seen evidence of this?
I'm surprised we haven't had any reports on here.

The initial planned rate is given as 18 bases a night, with mast erection starting "from the summer".
The concreting unit was said to be due in Swindon about now, with the mast erection unit arriving in Derby from Windhoff soon for testing.

 

[LexyBoy]

Rail this week claims that the first mast base for the GW electrification was piled by the new HOPS train somewhere "east of Cholsey" on March 17.
Has anybody actually seen evidence of this?
I'm surprised we haven't had any reports on here.

The initial planned rate is given as 18 bases a night, with mast erection starting "from the summer".
The concreting unit was said to be due in Swindon about now, with the mast erection unit arriving in Derby from Windhoff soon for testing.

There's a stretch of bases just east of the bridge at Cholsey, around 15 at a guess. There's also around 4 about a mile west of Cholsey. Both on the relief side. Lots of conduit laid ready and lots of piles waiting at the Moretoo Junction site.

The units at Swindon look very new and shiny!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's a stretch of bases just east of the bridge at Cholsey, around 15 at a guess. There's also around 4 about a mile west of Cholsey. Both on the relief side. Lots of conduit laid ready and lots of piles waiting at the Moretoo Junction site.
The units at Swindon look very new and shiny!

Thanks for the update.
I will have to get down and have a look...

 

[ic250]

The last time I travelled this direction (last week) there were hundreds of stanchions in a heap east of Didcot, seemingly ready to go. There were also quite a few which had been erected east of Reading, towards Twyford (significantly more than when I last looked).

 

[Ironside]

Does anybody know if there is a detailed timetable for electrification. Specifically I would like to find out when I might see work being undertaken between Twyford and Charvil (a few miles east of Reading). I have friends living in that area and would like to watch (from a safe distance) the construction train in action.

 

[LexyBoy]

Does anybody know if there is a detailed timetable for electrification. Specifically I would like to find out when I might see work being undertaken between Twyford and Charvil (a few miles east of Reading). I have friends living in that area and would like to watch (from a safe distance) the construction train in action.

The stretch between Maidenhead and Reading is planned for April-December according to the Western Route Plan (see p61-62), but IIRC Reading-London will be done with conventional methods rather than the HOOP train. This could just be Maidenhead-Heathrow Jct though, as that's being done by Balfour Beatty rather than Amey (who are responsible for the HOOP).

Don't know if more detail is available anywhere - might be best to keep a look out for materials being readied lineside...

 

[Ironside]

The stretch between Maidenhead and Reading is planned for April-December according to the Western Route Plan (see p61-62), but IIRC Reading-London will be done with conventional methods rather than the HOOP train. This could just be Maidenhead-Heathrow Jct though, as that's being done by Balfour Beatty rather than Amey (who are responsible for the HOOP).

Don't know if more detail is available anywhere - might be best to keep a look out for materials being readied lineside...

Last week I did see what looked like some hollow concrete blocks pilled up on the elevated section by the lakes between Charvil and Twyford (just east of Park lane). I couldn't work out exactly what they were but that righting did lead me to ask the question above.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Some observations from a trip today between Paddington and Oxford (not my normal patch!):

Mast base count (metal piled foundations): about 65 (on the north side).
Tilehurst-Pangbourne: 17 (starts just west of Tilehurst station)
Pangbourne-Goring: 22 (mostly east of the river bridge)
Goring-Cholsey: 23 (ditto)
Cholsey-Didcot: 3
They come in fits and starts, not a continuous line.
Sticks mark the locations to be piled, some on the Oxford branch.

Reading station area: Masts pretty much complete over all lines from about half a mile east of the station (next to the gasholders), to the middle of the station.
They are then concentrated on the north side as far as the new MU depot, which is partially wired.
Nothing much can be done on the south side until the new viaduct is complete.

There is significant electrification work in progress at the other construction sites: at Acton (new freight diveunder) and at Stockley (airport viaduct being extended onto the relief lines).
But otherwise, nothing obvious by way of electrification work on the main line east of the Reading station area.
Most of the work going on is on a new cable route.

There's a big work site taking shape at Iver, but it looks like it's for track remodelling.
North Pole depot looked to be a hive of activity, and new track is down at the Maidenhead Crossrail sidings.
All the platforms at Reading station are now in use, although some fitting out is still going on.
The London end of new P7 is closed for rebuilding where the old footbridge was, but HSTs can stop further down the platform.
It's a nice station now, but very draughty today (needs some wind baffles for the escalators!).

Picture of Moreton Cutting below, with some of the 12000 piles to be driven into the GW main line over the next 3 years:

 

[starrymarkb]

Some observations from a trip today between Paddington and Oxford (not my normal patch!):

Mast base count (metal piled foundations): about 65 (on the north side).
Tilehurst-Pangbourne: 17 (starts just west of Tilehurst station)
Pangbourne-Goring: 22 (mostly east of the river bridge)
Goring-Cholsey: 23 (ditto)
Cholsey-Didcot: 3
They come in fits and starts, not a continuous line.
Sticks mark the locations to be piled, some on the Oxford branch.

Reading station area: Masts pretty much complete over all lines from about half a mile east of the station (next to the gasholders), to the middle of the station.
They are then concentrated on the north side as far as the new MU depot, which is partially wired.
Nothing much can be done on the south side until the new viaduct is complete.

There is significant electrification work in progress at the other construction sites: at Acton (new freight diveunder) and at Stockley (airport viaduct being extended onto the relief lines).
But otherwise, nothing obvious by way of electrification work on the main line east of the Reading station area.
Most of the work going on is on a new cable route.

There's a big work site taking shape at Iver, but it looks like it's for track remodelling.
North Pole depot looked to be a hive of activity, and new track is down at the Maidenhead Crossrail sidings.
All the platforms at Reading station are now in use, although some fitting out is still going on.
The London end of new P7 is closed for rebuilding where the old footbridge was, but HSTs can stop further down the platform.
It's a nice station now, but very draughty today (needs some wind baffles for the escalators!).

Picture of Moreton Cutting below, with some of the 12000 piles to be driven into the GW main line over the next 3 years:

Suspect they are waiting for the Western Flyover before putting the knitting up

 

[fgwrich]

Seeing OHLE Masts in Reading Station last month for the first time does seem a little odd, I wonder how the issue of the OHLE over Platform 9/10 will be delt with, given that the track through 10 is about 1ft higher than 9.

 

[swt_passenger]

Seeing OHLE Masts in Reading Station last month for the first time does seem a little odd, I wonder how the issue of the OHLE over Platform 9/10 will be delt with, given that the track through 10 is about 1ft higher than 9.

The gantries are not continuous over the gap between P9 and P10, although they can look connected at a quick glance from some viewpoints. There's a couple of feet gap between the main cross girders.

 

[RichmondCommu]

There are masts to the east of Reading station on the GWML. These masts seem to extend for at least a couple of miles from the station. I'm assuming that these were installed as part of the station re-build?

 

[swt_passenger]

There are masts to the east of Reading station on the GWML. These masts seem to extend for at least a couple of miles from the station. I'm assuming that these were installed as part of the station re-build?

Yes. It is expected that the wiring will be done in a separate phase later. The area immediately west of the station will probably not see masts until the final track layout is finished.

 

[dysonsphere]

Last time I went by (just before Xmas) there are masts heading down the triangle towards Reading West I assume looking at layout plans something to do with access to the new yard on the old North Side sidings. Not sure if is flyover od dive under to cross main lines, Im sure someone will know the truth of the matter.

 

[davetheguard]

Last time I went by (just before Xmas) there are masts heading down the triangle towards Reading West I assume looking at layout plans something to do with access to the new yard on the old North Side sidings. Not sure if is flyover od dive under to cross main lines, Im sure someone will know the truth of the matter.

Don't forget the Berks & Hants line, at least as far as Newbury (and Basingstoke as well as part of the Electric Spine), is to be electrified too, so that would explain the masts towards Reading West. (I'm assuming you meant Reading West station, rather than Reading West Junction, which is in a different place).

 

[dysonsphere]

Yes forgot to include the station word sorry.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There are masts to the east of Reading station on the GWML. These masts seem to extend for at least a couple of miles from the station. I'm assuming that these were installed as part of the station re-build?

Not quite that far.
To just east of the Kennet bridge (alongside the gasholders).
They look very stark at the moment without any small part bits for the wires.
It does as least confirm that they will be solid portal structures and not like the troublesome ECML headspan wiring.

 

[swt_passenger]

Last time I went by (just before Xmas) there are masts heading down the triangle towards Reading West I assume looking at layout plans something to do with access to the new yard on the old North Side sidings. Not sure if is flyover od dive under to cross main lines, Im sure someone will know the truth of the matter.

The up and down mains will be at the high level, the west curve remains basically at its current level and passes under the new viaduct in a concrete box structure. The new curve for the 'feeder lines' which provide the link from Reading west station towards the relief side of the station and into platform 11 (for up trains from Westbury etc) also pass under the mains.

 

[76020]

This is on the Crossrail website:-

Western Section Works Programme

Electrification:-

Enabling Works Started:-Mar 2014

Construction Starts/Started:- Summer 2014

Works Complete:- Dec 2015

Does this now include Maidenhead to Reading?